How Long Do Hard Boiled Eggs Stay Good? (3 Storage Methods)

When eggs are boiled, their shells become porous, and this allows air and bacteria to enter. As a result, fresh eggs have a longer shelf life. When you boil an egg, its protective layer is washed off, and this makes the egg vulnerable to bacteria. Hard-boiled eggs last one week.

Store Boiled Eggs Immediately

Many people love hard-boiled eggs. In some cases, you make a dozen or more with the idea of preparing your favorite meals, but later realize that you cannot use all of them. What can you do with the extra eggs? Keep reading to find out.

Unlike what some people may think, hard-boiled eggs tend to have a short shelf life. Once you boil your eggs, their shelf life will be shorter than that of raw eggs. To keep your hard-boiled eggs safe, ensure that you chill them immediately after making.

You should then transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and refrigerate them to maintain the temperature in a safe range.

How to tell if hard-boiled eggs have gone bad?

Yes. There are numerous ways of identifying spoiled eggs other than just knowing how long do hard boiled eggs last. One of the most obvious indications of bad eggs is unpleasant or rotten smell. Such eggs are not fit for human consumption. In eggs with a shell, you can only smell the bad odors by cracking them open.

Some people tend to assume that if the yolk of a hard-boiled egg turns green or gray, the egg is spoiled. However, the color mainly depends on the cooking time. If your eggs are well-cooked, their yolk will have a creamy texture and gain a deep yellow or golden color.

3 Ways to Store your Hard-boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are popular in many homes as they are easy to prepare and are good sources of proteins. Ensure that your eggs are properly stored to keep them fresh and safe for you to eat. Some of the best ways of storing your eggs include refrigerating, freezing and pickling. You should store the eggs using a technique that will help to maintain their flavor.

Refrigerating

Put your eggs inside a bowl containing cold water immediately after boiling them. Once they have cooled, use a towel to dry them and refrigerate to keep bacteria and other contagions away. If you leave your eggs unrefrigerated for too long, they will pose health risks.

According to statistics from the Food and Drugs Administration, consuming rotten eggs causes a significant percentage of foodborne illnesses annually. The federal authority recommends people to refrigerate eggs immediately after making a purchase.

When you refrigerate hard-boiled eggs, they can sit for up to seven days and remain safe for consumption, whether peeled or unpeeled. If unrefrigerated, they can only be safe for about two hours.

Leaving them at room temperature for too long will attract bacteria. One of the most common health risks associated with eating rotten eggs is called Salmonella. Usually, the symptoms of the condition last for up to seven days and can spread through other types of contaminated food that has been mishandled.

If left untreated, the illness can result in dehydration and may need medical attention. To keep your eggs fresh, store them at a temperature level not exceeding 40 degrees.

Pickling Hard-Boiled Eggs

Use canning jars when pickling your eggs. The jars are readily available in local kitchen-supply stores and online shops. They allow airtight sealing and hence effective in keeping contaminants away. Ensure that jars are sterile to avoid the spread of diseases.

You can use an oven for sterilizing. Use hot soapy water to wash your jar and rinse thoroughly. Once you have removed the jar from the oven, put in your eggs and pickling brine. Next, place your eggs in a pan and add cool water.

After simmering, use water to rinse the eggs, cool them down and remove shells in preparation for pickling. Prepare the brine and add it as soon as you can. Lastly, put your hard-boiled eggs and the brine you have prepared into the jar and seal it tightly.

Freezing Hard-Boiled Eggs

Only freeze the cooked yolks of your eggs. When you decide to freeze the entire egg, the egg whites will become rubbery. Your eggs may also become discolored due to thawing. One of the best safety steps that you can take when freezing hard-boiled eggs is writing the dates on freezer bags.

The practice will help you to keep track of how long the yolks have been inside a freezer. Only consume frozen eggs within three months. Place the yolks in a sealed bag before putting them in a freezer.

After making your eggs, peel, remove the yolks and package them. Freeze the yolks immediately to avoid contamination. Freezing will not change the texture of your eggs. To freeze the whole egg, beat all together, just like when preparing scrambled eggs.

You can use ice cube trays to freeze your hard-boiled eggs. Apply some cooking oil to prevent the eggs from sticking on the tray.

How Do You Handle Peeled Hard-Boiled Eggs?

To ensure that your eggs are safe for consumption, only peel them when you are ready to eat. If you have peeled them already, ensure you store them in an airtight container containing a damp paper towel to prevent drying out.

Just like unpeeled eggs, never leave peeled ones at room temperature for too long. They should also be refrigerated as soon as possible.

Tips to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs

Would you like to learn how you can make the eggs for yourself and your family? It’s as easy as pie. Read to find out.

First, place your eggs in a saucepan. The pan should be large enough to hold them in one layer. Add cold water and heat to boiling. Secondly, remove your eggs from the burner and cover the pan. Let them stand in the water for a maximum of 15 minutes. Lastly, drain the hot water and serve while warm.

Although you heat a pan to boiling, remove it from the heat immediately to allow the eggs to cook gently in hot water. By doing so, your eggs will become tender and lower the chances of breaking.

In some cases, you will see a greenish ring after making hard-boiled eggs, which results due to the reaction between iron and sulfur. The reaction takes place when eggs are overcooked or if the temperature is too high.

By cooking eggs in hot and not boiling water also helps to minimize the chances of the formation of the ring. Fresh eggs may be difficult to peel. To make it easier for you to peel, refrigerate them for up to 10 days before cooking.

The Benefits of Eating Eggs

Are there Benefits of eating hard-boiled Eggs? Eating a healthy breakfast is vital, and skipping it may affect your memory negatively. One of the healthiest diets that you should take is hard-boiled eggs.

Improved Metabolism

Due to the presence of amino acids, it will be easier for your body to use proteins in eggs. The high amount of proteins in eggs can boost metabolism by up to 100 calories. Additionally, eggs contain different types of fats, which help in the reduction of absorption of cholesterol.

Low Calories

Unlike some diets that you take for breakfast, eggs are low in calories as they contain only 78 calories. You can lower the number of calories further by removing the yolk to help you lose weight faster. When taking a wholesome meal for breakfast, you can include up to 4 hard-boiled eggs, which contain less than 240 calories.

Keeping You Full

Wouldn’t you want to stay full for a longer period? By taking hard-boiled eggs, you’ll stay away from hunger pangs for hours. This is possible due to the higher protein content in the eggs and the fact that they are highly satiating.

Provides Good Cholesterol

When you take hard-boiled eggs, you will be high levels of high-density lipoprotein, and this will lower the chances of heart diseases and other medical complications. You can increase the levels by taking two eggs daily.

Improved Eyesight

The eggs have antioxidants, which play a crucial role in ensuring the health of your eyes and protecting them from external elements. If you eat them regularly, the possibility of developing cataracts will reduce significantly.

Helps to Prevent Bloating

Bloating results from bad eating habits. According to medical professionals, outside food is a common cause of bloating. You can avoid such cases by taking eggs regularly and staying away from junk food.

Summary

Hard-boiled eggs are rich sources of proteins. When the eggs are boiled, their protective layer is removed. As a result, they become vulnerable to contaminants and go bad. One of the common signs of bad hard-boiled eggs is a foul smell. ”How long do hard boiled eggs last?” is a common question. The shelf life largely depends on how well you store them, among other factors.